Excessive use of social networks: Psychosocial profile of Spanish adolescents

Understanding the factors that predict excessive use of social networks in adolescence can help prevent problems as addictive behaviours, loneliness or cyberbullying. The main aim was to ascertain the psychological and social profile of adolescents whose use of SNSS is excessive. Participants comprised 1,102 adolescents aged between 11 and 18 from Girona (Spain). Those who made excessive use of social networks were grouped together. Their personality and social profiles were explored, the former using NEO FFI, NEO PI-R and Self-Concept AF5, and the latter through the use of Social Support Appraisals, self-attributed type of ICT use in the family and rules regarding ICT use at home. The prevalence of excessive use was 12.8%, being higher among girls. The personality profile was characterized by neuroticism, impulsivity and a lower family, academic and emotional self-concept. The social profile was defined by the perception of high ICT consump¬tion in the mother and siblings, and a lack of rules. The protective factors were conscientiousness, the existence of rules, and being a boy; risk factors were the use of SNSS as a distraction and for fun, and the perception of high sibling consumption. Interventions based on gender and working on responsible ICT use within the family environment are proposed to prevent more serious psychological problems

Cambios de escala y gasto: una aproximación a los servicios de bienestar comunitario en los Ayuntamientos de la Comunidad de Madrid

Europa y en particular los países del sur están sufriendo una grave crisis económica que ha relanzado debates sobre estrategias para economizar recursos y reducir el déficit. De hecho, se han promovido políticas de austeridad y recortes que, en algunos casos, han dado lugar a un replanteamiento de la estructura municipal. Así, en 2010, Grecia, Italia y Portugal plantearon reestructuraciones de su mapa local y regional. Otros países europeos se habían enfrentado a este debate con anterioridad. El elemento esencial que justifica estas reformas es la generación de economías de escala. Se considera que las entidades pequeñas entorpecen la buena gestión y, por tanto, que la fusión municipal implicaría mejoras en términos de costes. A pesar de la tendencia europea de reducción del número de entidades locales, España se había mantenido al margen. Sin embargo, la reforma aprobada en diciembre del régimen local presenta la fusión y la reubicación de funciones como soluciones al problema de la fragmentación, a partir de la hipótesis de que el comportamiento del gasto de los municipios de mayor tamaño es más eficiente. En este trabajo analizamos datos presupuestarios de los municipios de la Comunidad de Madrid de más de 5.000 habitantes, excepto la ciudad de Madrid (79 en total), con el fin de explorar la relación entre tamaño y comportamiento en el gasto. A partir de los resultados, ofrecemos evidencias de que la población no es un factor relevante para explicar posibles diferencias en el funcionamiento del gast

Temperament and attachment as predictive factors for the risk of addiction to substances in adolescents.

Abstract: This study aims to relate the dimensions of temperament and attachment with the risk of addiction to substances in a group of 642 adolescents between 13 and 19 years old, and to assess which dimensions of these constructs acted as risk or protective factors. It also relates the two constructs between them. There was a positive correlation between the risk of addiction and the temperament dimension "Novelty seeking" and with those of attachment, "Self-sufficiency and parental resentment" and "Child trauma". The correlation was negative with "Persistence" (temperament) and "Security" (attachment). "Novelty seeking", "Family concern" and age, acted as risk factors; whereas “Security” in attachment was a factor of protection. The temperament and attachment profiles with a higher risk of addiction correlated with each other; they also correlated those with a low risk. Resumen: Temperamento y apego como factores predictivos para el riesgo de adicción a sustancias en adolescentes.Este estudio busca relacionar las dimensiones de temperamento y apego con el riesgo de adicción a sustancias en un grupo de 642 adolescentes de entre 13 y 19 años, y valorar qué dimensiones de estos constructos actúan como factores de riesgo o de protección. También se relacionan los dos constructos entre ellos. Hubo una correlación positiva entre el riesgo de adicción y la dimensión de temperamento “Búsqueda de novedad”, y con las de apego “Autosuficiencia y rencor hacia los padres” y “Trauma infantil”. La correlación fue negativa con “Persistencia” (temperamento) y “Seguridad” (apego). “Búsqueda de la novedad”, “Preocupación familiar” y edad, actuaron como factores de riesgo; mientras que la “Seguridad “en el apego fue un factor de protección. Los perfiles de temperamento y apego con riesgo más elevado de adicción correlacionaron entre ellos; también correlacionaron aquellos con un riesgo bajo.        

Evaluación de la severidad de la ideación suicida autoinformada en escolares de 8 a 12 años

El objetivo de este estudio es la evaluación de la ideación suicida infantil y su severidad a partir de la información proporcionada por el propio niño. Para ello se ha aplicado el Children's Depression Inventory a una muestra representativa de 361 escolares de edades comprendidas entre los 8 y 12 años. Un mes más tarde se ha verificado la persistencia de los deseos de morir mediante la Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised. Se evalúa la severidad de la ideación suicida autoinformada con relación a la persistencia, la alteración del estado de ánimo y el conocimiento intelectual de la muerte. Los resultados indican que la persistencia de la intencionalidad suicida esta asociada a una mayor sintomatología depresivaThe aim of this study is to assess the severity of self-report child suicidal ideation.The Children's Depression Inventory was administered to random sample of 361 school children aged 8 to 12 years-old. A month later, the persistence of death desires was reassessed by using the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised. The severity of child suicidal ideation was evaluated and related to affective symptomatology and to the intellectual knowledge of death. The results shown that the persistence of suicidal was associated with a higher depressive simptomatolog

Personality and Social Context Factors Associated to Self-Reported Excessive Use of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) on a Sample of Spanish Adolescents

The vulnerability that characterizes adolescents justifies the growing health concern about the impact of excessive use of ICT. Exploring the roll both psychological and social variables in excessive use of ICT in adolescents can help preventing risk behaviors. Examining the ICT use of 1,102 secondary school, baccalaureate and professional training course students (11–18 years old, M = 14.42, Sd = 1.78; 50.58% boys), we investigate the psycho-social profile of those adolescents who have self –reported an excessive use of ICTs. Personality factors were assessed using the NEO-FFI, and social context factors through the PWI (Personal Well-being Index); AF5 (Multidimensional Scale of Self Concept); SSA (Social Support Appraisals); ad hoc questions on self-perception of parental and sibling ICT consumption, and the existence of rules for ICT use in the home. 14.5% (n = 160) of adolescents match the criteria of excessive use. The self-reported excessive use is associated as much by personality factors as by family context. Risk factors in self-reported excessive adolescent ICT use are being female, impulsiveness, perceiving a high level of family support and a high use by parents and siblings. The family, academic, emotional and physical self-concepts are factors of protection. This study has provided us with a profile of adolescents who make a self-reported excessive use of ICT, which may be of help in preventing such use. The presence of these specific personality and socio-demographic factors indicate a greater vulnerability and may serve as indicators for parents, teachers and healthcare professionals to intervene and prevent excessive ICT use and other serious psychological problems related

Dealing with Austerity: a case of local resilience in Southern Europe

Southern countries are undergoing a severe economic crisis that has renewed debates about the available strategies to economize their public resources. Political leaders have launched a wide range of different strategies aimed at reducing spending. According to generally accepted political discourse, drastic actions should be taken to guarantee economic and financial sustainability in times of austerity. We explore the main measures adopted by Spanish municipalities in order to examine their impact in budgetary terms. First of all, we identify the most frequently implemented mechanisms including organizational structure, public services and operational economic restructuration. After their quantification, we monitor the presence and impact of each set of policies to analyse the relationship between concrete measures and effective economic impact. The effective reduction of budgets is being implemented but data shows that local governments are resilient to non-compulsory changes. The 'government at a distance' policy pursued by the central state administration has effectively reduced budgets but has not affected the institutional core of Spanish local governments

Comportamiento perturbador en la adolescencia y su relación con el temperamento y los estilos de afrontamiento

Partiendo de la clasificación del DSM-IV TR que aglutina, bajo la etiqueta de trastornos del comportamiento perturbador, el trastorno de conducta antisocial y el trastorno negativista desafiante, se ha realizado un estudio con dos objetivos: a) conocer las diferencias en la sintomatología del trastorno del comportamiento perturbador durante la adolescencia en función del género, la edad y la ubicación del centro escolar; y b) analizar las relaciones entre las variables temperamentales y de afrontamiento con las dimensiones psicopatológicas de conducta antisocial y negativista desafiante. Se ha administrado el YI-4, el EATQ-R y la ACS a una muestra de 1.240 adolescentes de edades comprendidas entre los 11 y 17 años. Los resultados obtenidos ponen de manifiesto que los chicos realizan un mayor número de conductas antisociales que las chicas, no observándose diferencias según la ubicación del centro escolar. En el caso de la sintomatología negativista desafiante, se observan diferencias según el grupo de edad, siendo a la edad de 13 a 14 años cuando se presenta una mayor sintomatología. Los datos indican una correlación positiva de ambas dimensiones psicopatológicas con surgencia y afrontamiento no productivo y negativa con control voluntario y afrontamiento productivoEmploying the DSM-IV TR classification, which classifies both antisocial behavior disorder and oppositional defiant disorder under the label of disruptive behavior disorder, a study was conducted with two aims: a) to determine the symptomatological differences of disruptive behavior disorder in adolescence depending on gender, age and school location, and b) to analyse the relationships between temperament, coping and the psychopathological dimensions of antisocial and oppositional defiant behavior. The YI-4, EATQ-R and ACS were administered to a sample of 1,240 adolescents between 11 and 17 years of age. The results show that boys display a greater number of antisocial behaviors than girls. No differences in school location were observed. In the oppositional defiant symptoms, there were differences according to age group, with 13 to 14 years being an age when there is a greater symptomatology. The data indicate a positive correlation with psychopathological dimensions of both surgency and non-productive coping and a negative correlation with effortful control and productive copin